'Too Cute' conference explores Asian American style

Posted February 25, 2010; 04:46 p.m.

by Staff

A conference titled "Too Cute: American Style and the New Asian Cool" is planned for Wednesday and Thursday, March 3-4. Conference sessions will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Prospect House, followed by keynote events at 4:30 p.m. in 101 McCormick Hall.

"Too Cute" explores the relationship between style and race through the lens of "Asian cuteness," featuring scholars and art practitioners from around the world in the fields of literary studies, performance and gender studies, American studies, East Asian studies, anthropology, philosophy, sociology, art and art history.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Eric Nakamura, editor and publisher of Giant Robot magazine, and an appearance by contemporary pop artist Yoshitomo Nara.

Participants will discuss the recent explosive transformation of "Asian cuteness" into what might be called the new wave of "Asian cool" as a way to showcase the dynamic and diverse work being done in the field of Asian American studies.

The event is sponsored by the Program in American Studies, the Program in and Department of East Asian Studies, the Center for African American Studies and the departments of anthropology and English.